CST 241
The conflicting American and Muslim view of women in Muslim societies
Over the years, the image of a Muslim woman has been changing. From the completely covered one, to the college going, educated woman, Muslim women have seen radical changes in last few decades. However, even though the Muslim world has revolutionized in its own manner, a conflicting image is still seen in the eyes of American women with respect to Muslim women. The ‘Hijab’ or the veil that is sacred to Muslims has been a topic of discussion lately. The recent ban of the headscarf in France and Britain has stirred a world-wide discussion over the issue of Muslim rights and women linearization.
Hijab has often been cited as a form of oppression. Most American women feel that their Muslim counterparts have no identity except for being a woman. The media has been the major source of this chain of thought about Muslim women, due to their constant coverage and sensationalism of the veil. An average American woman is of the view that women in Islamic culture are socially deprived. Their major contemplation of the status of Muslim women with respect to a few major issues is discussed as follows;
Hijab: Most westerners are of the opinion that Islam oppress women and that the veil is the symbol of oppression. According the Holy Qur’an, a Muslim woman is required to wear the veil which, in common American opinion, disguises who they really are, or who they wish to present themselves to be.
Muslim women and their men: The image of Muslim women is that of terrified females, subjugated by the tyrannies of their men. The western world has been witness to the various autocracies carried out by the men over women. This has been the major reason for the overall concept of Muslim women to be that of socially oppressed, passive, backward, non-professional ‘Hijab’ wearer.
Muslim women and sex: The western society advocates open relationships, not bound by marriage, where each partner is given freedom. In contrast, Muslim women are bound by marriage and cannot have sexual relations outside of it. This, according to most American women, is yet more evidence of an oppressive and domineering culture where women have no self-identity.
Economic rights: The common notion among Western women is the fact that Muslim women have no socio-economic rights and are dependent on the males of the society. However, according to the laws of Islam, Muslim women are given equal rights as men, though this is not practiced.
While the veil is seen as suppressive by American women, many fail to see the religious and sentimental meaning behind it. When asked about their feelings on the issue, many Muslim women stated it was a great thing; men can take them for who they were, regardless of physical characteristics. It truly allows them to have a marriage based on the elements that matter. This is the same reason the United States enforces the wearing of school uniforms: so the individuals in the education system get an education and are not discriminated against by outward values such as appearance or who has the newest shoes.
In addition, a family is often judged in Muslim societies based on the actions of the females in it. Wearing a veil signifies a woman is chaste and sexually monogamous to her husband, or is abstinent. This brings honor to her family and so can be seen as a way of protecting families. While most Americans are thriving on the hijab, Muslim women are thriving on gaining more opportunities in the workplace, better education and healthcare benefits. Many American women who oppose the veil believe that without the veil will come more opportunities with other important benefits. It signifies a revolution for Muslim women.
Another view Muslim women have is that it is oppressive and offensive to wear a veil and takes away personal choice and freedom. A group called the Women's Action Forum, (WAF) based in Pakistan, encourage women to such freedom. Probably the most advanced Muslim culture that deals with the issue is Turkey. Men and women alike used the changing of women’s roles as a way to show other nations that they were ready to govern themselves; it was a symbol of the new state. Some women chose to continue wearing the veil and, in return, were mocked and called names. Women who chose to wear the veil were not liberated, they were frightened. Most of society saw the veil as a negative symbol and criticized those who still wore it.
While these views are clearly conflicting, another interesting point is to consider whether these Muslim women are pressured into saying, thinking and dressing this way. Men have the upper hand in Muslim societies as they have more power, socially, economically, and politically. Most are in favor of women wearing veils. Consequently, in order for them to gain, or at least maintain, a certain level of comfort, Muslim women are obligated to agree with the view. A counterargument for this theory is, as earlier stated, that Muslim women depict how a family is viewed. Although Muslim men have the upper hand, some sort of balance could be created by Muslim women having the power to control the societal view on the family. Whether one power outweighs the other is not something that can be proven, but is definitely an interesting point.
Another factor, perhaps, is the rise of “raunch” female culture in the United States. “Raunch” refers to the extremely provocative and open way that many females feel is appropriate to present themselves. This includes behaviors such as cursing, dressing in skin tight clothing, getting tattoos, taking pictures in provocative poses, discussing things that were previously seen as personal in public and other aspects of social portrayal that are ever-changing. We constantly see behaviors that perhaps were seen as un-ladylike in years past, and almost everyday common action for females in the United States. For example, women now speak openly and proudly about sexual encounters with multiple partners and are not being judged or looked down upon by others. The correlation between that and the view of Muslim women wearing the veil seems quite apparent. American society has so much freedom for women that anything traditional seems almost unthinkable. Muslim women are not exposed to these social opportunities that American women are. They are not exposed to makeup ads, Victoria’s secret undergarments and different forms of contraceptives. The main linking factor here, or lack thereof, is the United States’ way of communicating and conveying ads and messages. Years ago, when these acts were seen as “Un-ladylike,” American women were not physically exposed to the media and forms of social networking they are today, just as Muslim women in Muslim societies are still not. Muslim women are what we would consider in the United States as traditional. Women 50 years ago would not see the hijab as such a disgrace as they do today.
The Hijab and its true context and values are commonly unseen. The images of women of Afghanistan dressed from head to toe, clearly show the state of women in Islam. The war on Afghanistan not only helped to fight terrorism but also helped the liberalization of Muslim women. The women opine that when they put the scarf on, they understand that they are shouldering a huge responsibility as they are representing the community. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, American women have started to view Muslim women differently.
While the obvious consensus is that the Hijab is an overbearing religious imposition, the Muslim women endorse an altogether different mentality. In the book Homeland and Security: The Arab American and Muslim American Experience after 9/11, Louise Cainkar spoke to several Muslim women and discovered most of them in the US has myriad reasons of wearing or not wearing the Hijab. The common outlook amongst the women who are devoted to wearing it is that the Hijab is a religious compulsion mentioned in the Holy Quran, and so must be adhered to without complacency or skepticism. There’s a sect of Muslim women who do not wear the Hijab because it makes them vulnerable. As Cainkar writes, “Since hijab makes one stand out and brings on potential for abuse” (Cainkar). The Muslim women in other parts of the world have been forbidden to wear it. “Some women said their decision to wear hijab went against the grain of family custom. When they began to do so, their parents were upset” (Cainkar). Familial broadmindedness has oft been seen as the root cause that has driven many Muslim women to give up their will to adorn the Hijab. However, such instances are few and far between, specifically in Muslim-dominated countries. Contrary to what the American point of view may be regarding hijab, the truth is that considerable populaces of Muslim women have grown up sans wearing hijab. As Cainkar states, “For women who did not grow up wearing it, choosing hijab was not a quick decision. Rather it was the outcome of contemplation and measured timing” (Cainkar).
What many American women fail to see is the view Muslim societies have on the way women in the United States dress, act, and present themselves. Most commonly, women in the United States see themselves as prosperous individuals with freedoms and rights equal to men, and who are now level socially, economically, and politically with their male counterparts. They assume Muslim women want what they have and are envious of these socially free lives they choose to live. American women are almost ethnocentric with their views. In fact, more freedom does not necessarily mean better in the eyes of some cultures. People in the United States have made some changes that have dramatically impacted lives culturally. These cultural changes have contributed to other sources such as politics, education and careers of women in America. Some argue that the change is empowering and liberating while others find it as a step backward for women. Some of the different views are as follows; those who are for, I discovered are for the new view on women see many things that were previously seen as unacceptable as empowering. Things such as porn and stripping are not frowned upon as they use to be. Dressing with little clothing is not seen as objectifying themselves to men, but as choice to dress as they wanted and not care about the judgment of others. Most women said this new outlook was comparable to the unchanging outlook of men. It promotes equality and strength for women. This equality gives these women an edge and allows equality in greater aspects of life including career fields and roles in the household.
Those who oppose see this new view as “trashy” and un classy. Instead of seeing women as equal to men, they see women as submissive to men, allowing them to see and experience exactly what they want. North American women see themselves much different than the rest of the world. Women contradict, evade, and analyze self-deceptions and confuse it as empowerment. Furthermore, the worst part is that most women don't see this as a negative thing; rather, they see the new ways of many women as a step forward.
Clearly, whatever may be the American mindset about the hijab, the facts are rather plain. Hijab has evolved from being a religious compulsion to, additionally, becoming a clothing of choice. It does not in any way deter the will and way of Muslim woman.
